Appliance control identification system employing user interface scan matrix
US7296236B2 · kind B2 · utility
9Cited by
47References
14Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 2, 2002 |
| Grant date | Nov 13, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 11, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01H2239/056
- WIPO fieldOther consumer goods
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
A universal controller is employed in a domestic appliance including a user interface. In order to determine the particular user interface utilized and, correspondingly, the available cycles, features and options of the appliance, a scan of a keypad matrix associated with the user interface is performed to determine the presence and/or absence of shorts used to reflect the existence of permanently closed keys of the matrix. In accordance with the invention, the shorts can be indicated individually, in sequence and/or in combination in order to indicate to the controller which firmware to execute for a particular user interface.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.